SENSORY EVALUATION OF CAROTENOID AND PALM JAGGERY INCORPORATED FUNCTIONAL DRINK JIGARTHANDA

Abstract

Functional foods are any fresh or processed food claimed to have a health-promoting or disease-preventing property beyond the basic function of the supply of nutrients. Functional foods like beverages offer potential health benefits that could enhance the well-being of consumers and reduce the economic and social costs of treating non-communicable diseases. Jigarthanda is one of the best tasting summer drink which has its origins in Madurai. The present study was carried out on the development of the functional drink Jigarthanda incorporated with carrot and palm jaggery using basic ingredients such as milk, Kova, and almond gum. The functional drink was prepared with three variations viz., VI, VII, and VIII in two proportions i.e. A and B. In proportion A, all the three variations were incorporated with 100 ml of carrot juice, and also VI, VII, and VIII contain 100 g, 150g, and 200g of palm jaggery respectively. In proportion B all the three variations were incorporated with 200 ml of carrot juice and also VI, VII and VIII contain 100 g, 150g, and 200g of palm jaggery respectively. Among the three variations, in Variation I, all the sensory factors were marked high with the mean value of 7 in both Proportion A and B. In Variation II and Variation III, all the factors in both proportions, A and B were marked high with the mean score of more than seven, and particularly in variation III, the taste factor got a high mean score of more than 8, and the overall acceptability was very high in Proportion B and the mean score was 7.3, which was more than the proportion A (7.27). Hence the functional drink Jigardhanda in VIII of Proportion B, which was made with 250gram palm jaggery, incorporated with 200 ml of carotenoid-rich carrot juice obtained the highest overall acceptability score and was regarded as the best sensory evaluated variation of Jigarthanda. The popular traditional beverage Jigarthanda has been value-added by incorporating carotenoid-rich functional food to the consumers.